CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas is the biggest and most anticipated consumer technology show in the world. It brings companies in from every part of the globe to show off what’s how and what’s to come. And this is what we predict will be some of the highlights this year.
TVs
One thing you can always look forward to is the current TV models that will be shipping out sometime within the year of the show. This usually results in some of the biggest booths on the show floor and some pretty intense video walls made out of LED panels or actual TVs. So you know companies like Samsung will be showing off their latest 4K flagships coming later in the year. But what about 8K? Wasn’t that supposed to take everything by storm?
You can find some really nice 8K models out there for purchase and will likely see some new ones at the show. But there just isn’t a lot of content out there outside of YouTube. In fact, there still isn’t enough 4K content out there to call 4K a standard yet, although it is improving. This has a been a fantastic year for 4K, but it really doesn’t extend far from there. 8K continues to sit in the corner waiting for its turn.
In the meantime, certain prototypes have surfaced from companies like Sony that could leave 8K in their dust. One of which could potentially be available right now for a price tag you wouldn’t want to hear anything about as it would likely dwarf the price of your home. Thus, as much as 8K is trying to make a place for itself, it seems 12K+ might be trying to do so as well. So it will be interesting to see if 8K goes the way of Betamax or 802.11ad. We may see higher resolution this show that might force 8K to step aside and turn 1080p into the new 720p. But then again, when will there be actual content for them?
Flexible/Folding Screens
What we can say for sure is that there will be a continued focus on foldable and flexible displays as companies try to add some additional energy back into the mobile device industry. The industry has been feeling a little stagnant with little enhancements from year to year (in camera capabilities more than anything). There just hasn’t been any industry-changing moves outside of the foldable displays and even then, it came with first-generation caveats.
Now that we are in third to fourth generations for foldable screen technology, you can bet that you will see a pretty heavy emphasis on them at CES 2024.
(More) Laser Projectors
Laser projectors aren’t new, but they are becoming more standard as companies find new ways to get better distances without sacrificing on brightness. Before this, laser was mostly focused on ultra-short-throw (UST) solutions. But now consumers have access to some pretty impressive laser models that can throw to a screen on the other side of the room. Not only that, but they have been getting more and more affordable.
Not only do these projectors carry a fantastic performance, but they are estimated to last much longer than the lifespan of DLP bulbs. So instead of replacing a bulb after so many years, you just replace the projector. What’s great is that if they last as long as they promise (ie, 20K+ hours), this would work out in the end as you’d likely be long past the phase of “wanting” a new projector before it ever died. So it’s not like it would be more expensive to replace vs bulbs.
So you can plan to see a bigger laser projector footprint this show, Including straight laser or even hybrid models from companies like LG, XGIMI, and more. Including UST, short-throw, and long-throw options.
Wi-Fi 7
As much as we wanted Wi-Fi 7 to make a big splash in 2023, the biggest splashes will be happening in 2024. In fact, things haven’t gotten much further than the final approved specs that determine what the new standard will include. What we do have out there are models rushed to market with what manufacturers expect will be included under the rules that make up what will make Wi-Fi 7 what it is. So it’s more like calling something “Wi-Fi 7 Ready” more so than you are buying into an actual working solution.
Some of these include models coming from TP-Link (the first to the table), Netgear, and Linksys. More to follow will include names like ASUS and MSI. Those who have already bought into the Wi-Fi 7 (ready) models are mostly waiting for firmware updates to unlock them to their full potential. For the other brands, we are just waiting on the models to release.
Wi-Fi 7 is official though and 2024 is its big moment within the timeline. By the end of 2024, the term will be traded around as openly as Wi-Fi 6 is today. And with it, all of the (theoretical) amazing improvements when it comes to speed and reliability.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Of course, we saved the best for last. Clearly one of the biggest topics at CES 2024 is going to be all about AI (artificial intelligence). This year has been a massive year for AI and next year will be just as ground-breaking.
The whole AI industry has been a little exaugurated thus far. That being said, it hasn’t been a joke either. What we do have really is powerful and makes up one of the biggest achievements in tech for 2023 globally. It just isn’t as scary as some people claim it to be. It won’t be replacing jobs anytime soon. Heck, we can’t even carry the more powerful AI solutions around with us without cloud/internet access due to the sheer amount of processing it would require.
In 2024, we may see the next step in AI where it moves partially from the cloud to a more intimate connection to our daily lives. We don’t think we are close enough to say that you could fully install a ChatGPT 4+ solution locally (offline) onto a mobile device just yet. This is going to require a little more evolution when it comes to dedicated AI processors. But we will definitely see the building blocks for what will ultimately become that.
In the meantime, CES 2024 will have a huge AI presence that still relies on the cloud using connectivity to services from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and more.
In Closing
There will be plenty of other highlights this year, including those surrounding the future of EV technology. Although we predict most of it will be a focus on prototypes, theories, and dreams of things to come more than anything. There will also be a focus on xMEMS technology in headphones, buds, speakers, and more. As well as some further integration of robotics into our daily commercial, learning, and hospitality lives.
If we are lucky, we may see some good examples of what’s to come for standards like Matter. Leading to a smoother experience in smart home ecosystems. Matter has had a bit of a rough ride so far, but it is slowly starting to take form.
There will be many out there hoping for the next big thing in VR, but I feel we just aren’t there yet. If anything, we may see some small improvements, but don’t expect to see anything that will knock your socks off. Then again, I personally don’t think I will be impressed with anything until we have 8K OLED in each eye.
One thing is for sure–this is going to be another fantastic CES, filled with exciting things to talk about. Not only that, but the show should be back to its original numbers along with the sizeable increase that was supposed to take place before the pandemic moved in to wreck havoc on those plans.
1 Comment
I can’t wait for Wi-Fi 7